Unlike Ajax and Real Madrid, there was no match history between BATE and Barca. I decided I really wanted to take in this match because one of two things was going to happen. Either BATE was going to pull one of the shocks of the soccer season, or Barca was going to put on a hell of a show.
Even if you didn't watch the match, I'm sure you can guess what happened.
BATE tried an interesting defensive tactic to start the match. Banking on the fact that because Barca lacks size, they wouldn't be able to beat them from wide, they clogged the midfield with as many as 9 players at a time, making Barca try to solve them from the wings.
It took about 20 minutes, but Barca did solve them. In the 19th minute Alves sent a cross toward the far post where Lionel Messi waiting. He banged a shot toward goal that was deflected in by a BATE defender to make it 0-1 Barca. It was officially ruled an Own Goal.
Then just 3 minutes later Pedro got in on the action, heading in a cross to make it 0-2. Barca would add one more before half time. In the 38th minute the BATE 'keeper spilled the ball off of a cross, and Messi was right there to hammer the ball into the net and make it 0-3 Barca at the break.
Barcelona wasn't going to sit on the lead either. They like to score, and they like to get as close to perfect as they can. They opened the second half with a barrage on the BATE goal, with Messi and David Villa leading the way. In the 56th minute Messi completed his brace, smacking home a top shelf goal after another cross from Alves. David Villa added the finishing tough in the 89th minute, taking advantage of a BATE giveaway in their own end and slotting past the keeper to make the full time score 0-5.
In the end, it was simply a dominant performance by Barca. BATE played hard, and played well at times, especially on defense, but they just lacked the quality to keep up with the European Champs for any more than that first 20 minutes.
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